Four-way valve for warm water heaters

ABSTRACT

A four-way valve for heat exchangers and hot water heaters comprising a valve seating housing which includes a hot water inlet opening at one end and a hot water return opening at the other end thereof; a valve guide integrally formed with the housing and disposed about the hot water return opening; and a plurality of spaced-apart, adjacent apertures disposed in a radial arrangement in said housing between said openings thereof. A valve housing head is mounted on the valve seating housing and couples a plurality of heating supply and drain pipes thereto. A hot water pipe from the hot water heater is disposed within the valve guide in the hot water return opening of the valve seating housing to couple the valve to the heater. Valve seats are disposed in the housing and valve head, and are engaged by end members formed on the end of a valve body slidably disposed on the valve guide. A rotatable adjustment head is coupled to the valve body for controlling the flow of water through the valve.

1 1 May 28, 1974 Eilnited States atertt [191 Wobig FOUR- WAY VALVE FORWARM WATER HEATERS [75] Inventor: Alberto Bruno Wobig, Luneburg,

Germany [73] Assignee: Fa. Alberto Wobig Armaturenfabrik, Luneburg, vGermany [22] Filed: Oct. 7, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 187,342

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 8, 1970 Germany 2049356 Oct.8, 1970 Germany 2049355 [52] US. CL; 236/101, 236/43, 137/599.1 [51]Int. Cl. G05d 23/08 [58] Field of Search 237/86, 8 R; 236/101, 43;165/35; 137/599.1

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,191,862 6/1965 Wobig236/101 3.641692 2/1972 Traylor 137/5991 TO HEAT EXCHANGER PrimaryExaminer-William E. Wayner Assistant ExaminerWilliam E. Tapolcai, Jr.Attorney, Agent, or FirmAllison C. Collard [57] ABSTRACT A four-wayvalve for heat exchangers and hot water heaters comprising a valveseating housing which includes a hot water inlet opening at one end anda hot water return opening at the other end thereof; a valve guideintegrally formed with the housing and disposed about the hot waterreturn opening; and a plurality of spaced-apart, adjacent aperturesdisposed in a radial arrangement in said housing between said openingsthereof. A valve housing head is mounted on the valve seating housingand couples a plurality of heating supply and drain pipes thereto. A hotwater pipe from the hot water heater is disposed within the valve guidein the hot water return opening of the valve seating housing to couplethe valve to the heater. Valve seats are disposed in the housing andvalve head, and are engaged by end members formed on the end of a valvebody slidably disposed on the valve guide. A rotatable adjustment headis coupled to the valve body for controlling the flow of water throughthe valve.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures T0 7 FROM HOT WATER RETURN HEATER sm'rammmzs m4 3813035 sum 1 ur a TO HEAT EXCHANGER FROM HOT WATER HEATERFOUR-WAY VALVE FOR WARM WATER HEATERS The present invention relates tovalves, and in particular to a four-way valve for heat exchangers in hotwater heaters.

After the introduction of one pipe hot water heaters, it becamenecessary to attach multiple-way valves to the heat exchangers fordistributing the water in the exchangers and the feeding pipes. A numberof different types of multiple way valves, and some four-way valves, arealready known. However, all of these known valves have severaldisadvantages, especially if they are thermostat-controlled. To improvethese four-way valves, modified valves, which have an axially slideablehollow cylindrical valve body, the ends of which cooperate with valveseats provided on both ends thereof were suggested. The valve body inthese valves is provided with a pipe, which is in flush engagement withthe valve body so as to seal it and which extends into the heatexchanger. This valve has several advantages over other types. Forexample, the valve has a short valve body which is easily varied. It canbe installed into one pipe heating body, and is particularly suitablefor a heating system having only one connection.

However, this valve is subject to frequent breakdowns, due to the factthat the connecting pipe between the heat exchanger and the valve bodymust move with the valve body. There have been attempts to install aspecial guide mechanism for the valve body, and to mount the end of thepipe which extends into the heat exchanger rigidly on the valve housing.However, this caused relatively poor reduction in the cross sections,especially near the valve body. This caused heating fluid by-pass in thevalve housing close to the valve body. Strong pressure differentialsthus occured, and much liquid exchange took place between the spaces onboth sides of the valve body through the valve body seat. Since therestill was an exchange of hot liquid when the valve was closed, theheating elements remained hot. This is not desirable during the seasonaltransitions from winter to spring and from summer to autumn.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animproved four-way valve in which the valve body is guided through thevalve housing so as to prevent liquid heat exchange through the valveseat.

lt is also an object of the present invention to provide an improvedfour-way valve which is simple in design, easy to manufacture, andefficient and reliable in operation.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a valve seating housingwhich has a guide for the valve body, and a bore for receiving the pipewhich extends into the heat exchanger. A valve housing head is mountedon the valve housing and has means for attaching a valve body actuatingdevice and bores for receiving the heating pipe coupling means. It hasbeen determined experimentally that these bores should preferably bearranged so that they are adjacent to each other and are disposeddownwardly. lt is easy to couple the pipes to the heat exchanger withsuch an arrangement. The bore in the valve seat housing which receivesthe pipe is also preferably provided with a ring seal.

In another embodiment of the invention, an improved valve actuatingdevice is used. Conventional actuators for four-way valves consist of amanually operated wheel coupled to a rotatable shaft, which is providedwith an actuating lever for the valve body. Indicators which indicatethe exact position of the valve body may also be provided in conjunctionwith the actuating mechanisms. However, the use of this valve isdisadvantageous since the position of the indicators for each heatexchanger is different whenever the valve bodies are moved. Thisrequires frequent adjustment of the valves until the desired position isobtained.

It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide animproved four-way valve in which the adjustment of the heat exchangersis the same, so that the indicated position of the valve bodies may beadjusted from one position to another position, simultaneously.

Accordingly, in another embodiment of the present invention, theactuating means is provided with a rotatable adjustment head which ismounted in a carrier housing positioned on the valve body. Theadjustment head is actuated by a coupling member and a shaft which iscoupled to the actuating lever of the valve body.

The shaft is mounted within a bearing housing, and the valve bodyactuating means is coupled to an adjustment means whose movement isindependent of the movement of the adjustment head. The adjustment meansis preferably an adjustment pin mounted in the carrier housing, and, theadjustment head is preferably a manually operated hand wheel. However,if desired, a bimetal spring may be positioned between the hand wheelhousing, shaft coupling and valve body actuating lever to obtainautomatic adjustment. With this arrangement, it is preferable that theend of the bimetal spring in the housing be bent into a rectangle toform a frame. The free shanks of these rectangular frames secure afastening pin which otherwise would be mounted in the housing. As aresult, the bimetal spring pivotably moves around the fastening pin, andautomatically balances any excentric position of the adjusting shaft. Ithas been shown experimentally that, in order to overcome the friction ofthe adjustable shaft at the packing seal, and a stable adjustment, it ispreferable if the bimetal spring is arranged so that during atemperature change of 1 C. the rotational movement of the shaft isapproximately 2.4 1.1 mm Kp, and preferably, 2.12 1.56 mm Kp. At thesame time, the angular adjustment of the free end of the bimetal springwith respect to the end which is connected to the housing should beapproximately O.6 0.9, and preferably 0.64 0.75 at a temperature changeof about 1 C.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings which disclose several embodiments of theinvention. It is to be understood, however, that 'the drawings aredesigned for the purposes of illustration only, and not as a definitionof the limits and scope of the invention.

in the drawings, wherein similar reference numerals denote similarelements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a four-way valve constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross'sectional view of an actuating means for afour-way valve constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the actuating means and the valve housingof the valve illustrated in FIGS. 1 and FIG. 4 is anend view of thesupply opening taken along section 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, in particular FIG. 1 there is shown afour-way valve having a valve seating housing 1 and valve housing head2. Valve housing head 2 includes a valve seat 2a.

The valve is securely mounted to an exchange heater by valve seathousing 1, a sleeve 13, and a ring seal 14. A valve guide 3 for a valvebody 4 is provided in valve seat housing 1. The inner space of valveguide 3 is provided with a sealing-and fastening ring 12 in the form ofa cylindrical bore 5 for receiving the heating pipes. Water escapeopenings 20 as shown in FIG. 4 are provided between a hot water supply19 and a hot water return 20. Water escape openings 21 are opened andclosed by valve body 4 and seal 18 so that hot water supply 19 can beturned on. Valve body 4 is adapted to seat against valve seat 21a asshown. Valve body 4 includes a pair of spaced-apart adjacent endmembersv4a and 4b. A water pipe 6 is disposed between the hot watersupply and the hot water return.

As illustrated in the drawings, the front portion of the valve housingis constructed as the valve housing head 2 and carries coupling members10 and 11 for the heating pipes. This construction allows easy access tovalve body 4 by removing valve seat housing 1 from the heat exchanger.Valve housing head 2 may be manufactured in various shapes and sizes toaccomodate different types of installation. The actuating means forvalve body 4 is mounted on valve housing head 2, and includes housing 15in which a bearing for lever 17 is mounted. Lever 17 is adjusted by acoupling member 16 and adjustment head 7.

Actuating means are provided on valve housing 1 for valve body 4, andinclude housing 15 to which an actuating lever 24 for valve body 4 isattached. Movement of lever 17 is carried out by coupling 16 throughbimetal spring 23, which is rigidly mounted at one end to adjustmenthead 7, which forms a housing for the bimetal spring. The spring is alsoconstructed so that its outer ends have rectangular bends, or frames 28.Bores 27 are provided in the free shanks of the frames. A pin 22 ismounted in head 7 and serves as a fastening means for spring 23. The endof spring 23 is thus pivotably mounted in housing 7.

Besides the previously mentioned advantages of the bimetal spring, thereare additional benefits. One is that the spring is not touched by theoperator during its adjustment.

When the valve is in its position illustrated in FIG. 1, the water flowpath from the heat exchanger through opening 19 and apertures 21 is shutoff. Valve body 4 engages the valve seat on valve seating housing 1 andprevents the flow of water from the hot water supply opening 19. Waterflows into and out of the valve head through the heating supply anddrain pipes coupled thereto and the hot water return pipe 6. When thevalve body is moved by means of adjustment head 7, it engages the valveseat in valve head 2, and permits water to flow through opening 19 andapertures into the heating drain pipe disposed in pipe coupling 1 l invalve head 2. Hot water flows from the heating pipe in coupling 10 intopipe 6 through valve head 2. The water flow path when the valve is openis, thus, from the pipe in coupling 10, through pipe 6 into the hotwater heater, back through opening 19 through apertures 21,

and out through the pipe in coupling 11.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 an indicator 29 is provided which 5 cooperates with ascale to adjust the adjustment means. For different heat exchangers,different basic indicator adjustments are necessary. It is, therefore,quite difficult, if not impossible, to adjust the various indicatorscorrectly when using a multiplicity of heat exchangers, since the scaleadjustment must be fixed in writing. The adjusting means of the presentinvention allows the adjustment of the indicator to be carried outindependently of the position of shaft 17 and, therefore, valve body 4,without influencing the adjustment across the bimetal spring. To achievethis, adjusting pin 25, is mounted in housing 15, and is provided withan off centered pin 26 which cooperates with indicator 29.

As a result of the position of pin 26, indicator 29 is pivotable aboutthe fastening pin and may be adjusted to a certain value on the scalewithout changing the basic position of the thermostat. It is, therefore,possible to adjust even scale values at all heat exchangers and then toreadjust the valves in a simple manner.

While only several embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those persons skilled in the artthat many changes and modifications may be made thereunto withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the in vention.

What is claimed is:

1. A four-way valve for heat exchangers in hot water heaters,comprising:

a valve seating housing, having an opening at one end for receiving hotwater from the hot water heater, another opening in the other endthereof for returning hot water to the hot water heater, a plurality ofapertures disposed in said housing between said openings at each end ina radial arrangement, a valve guide member, integrally formed with saidhousing, and disposed about said opening for returning hot water to thehot water heater, and a valve seat disposed about and adjacent to saidapertures;

a valve housing head, mounted on said valve seating housing adjacentsaid opening in said housing for returning hot water to the hot waterheater, including at least one valve seat disposed adjacent said openingfor the return of the hot water, said valve head including a pluralityof heating pipes coupled thereto for the supply and drainage of hotwater to and from said valve head;

a valve body, slidably disposed on said valve guide,

and having outwardly disposed end members integrally formed therewith,one of said end members including sealing means, said end membersengaging said valve seats on said valve housing head, and controllingthe flow of water therethrough; and

means, movably mounted on said valve housing head, and coupled to saidvalve body, for moving said valve body on said valve guide and therebycontrolling the flow of water therethrough.

2. The valve as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one end of saidvalve body includes a pair of spacedapart adjacent end members, andwherein said sealing means is a ring seal disposed between a pair ofsaid spaced-apart end members, for engaging said valve seat on saidvalve seating housing.

head, rotatably mounted on said valve housing head, an annular couplingmember, an elongated cylindrical shaft coupled to said coupling member,and an actuating lever coupled to said shaft and said valve body, saidlever slidably moving said valve body on said valve guide in response torotational movement of said adjustment head.

1. A four-way valve for heat exchangers in hot water heaters,comprising: a valve seating housing, having an opening at one end forreceiving hot water from the hot water heater, another opening in theother end thereof for returning hot water to the hot water heater, aplurality of apertures disposed in said housing between said openings ateach end in a radial arrangement, a valve guide member, integrallyformed with said housing, and disposed about said opening for returninghot water to the hot water heater, and a valve seat disposed about andadjacent to said apertures; a valve housing head, mounted on said valveseating housing adjacent said opening in said housing for returning hotwater to the hot water heater, including at least one valve seatdisposed adjacent said opening for the return of the hot water, saidvalve head including a plurality of heating pipes coupled thereto forthe supply and drainage of hot water to and from said valve head; avalve body, slidably disposed on said valve guide, and having outwardlydisposed end members integrally formed therewith, one of said endmembers including sealing means, said end members engaging said valveseats on said valve housing head, and controlling the flow of watertherethrough; and means, movably mounted on said valve housing head, andcoupled to said valve body, for moving said valve body on said valveguide and thereby controlling the flow of water therethrough.
 2. Thevalve as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one end of said valve bodyincludes a pair of spaced-apart adjacent end members, and wherein saidsealing means is a ring seal disposed between a pair of saidspaced-apart end members, for engaging said valve seat on said valveseating housing.
 3. The valve as recited in claim 1, wherein said valveguide is cylindrical in shape, and wherein said sealing means comprisesa ring seal, disposed in said hot water return opening in said valveseating housing adjacent said valve guide, for providing a water-tightseal between said hot water return opening and said valve guide.
 4. Thevalve as recited in claim 3, wherein said means for moving said valvebody comprises an adjustment head, rotatably mounted on said valvehousing head, an annular coupling member, an elongated cylindrical shaftcoupled to said coupling member, and an actuating lever coupled to saidshaft and said valve body, said lever slidably moving said valve body onsaid valve guide in response to rotational movement of said adjustmenthead.